Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing.

**BLACK**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"The Problem With Possession"

Regulus didn't sleep. He spent a sleepless night in bed, counting Hermione's breaths and fighting a pounding headache.

Slytherin wanted to have a chat.

Regulus was fervently avoiding said chat.

Since one of the two was a passenger in the other's head, it was incredibly painful. Slytherin made his displeasure known in irritated bursts of foreign magic, blazing under his skin. It was all Regulus could do to not spasm or groan in pain.

Less than a Crucio, he told himself, over and over again. It's less than a crucio. I've survived worse.

When the first flickers of dawn seeped through the small window, Regulus extricated himself from Hermione's arms, getting out of bed.

He stumbled to the window and pushed aside the curtains, letting the weak morning light in. The light sliced through his eyes. He braced himself against the wall.

...let...ME...SPEAK!

Regulus winced, squeezing his eyes shut, so tightly that he saw stars.

"Regulus?" Hermione's voice was hoarse, gritty with sleep. He could only imagine how he looked to her; with the window behind him, he must be a monstrous shadow, his features rendered invisible.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm here.

The sheets rustled as she slipped out from between them, her feet padding across the floor. She ran her hands around his waist, leaning on him.

"It's too early," she mumbled into his chest. "Why are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," he said. One hand slowly rubbed her back. She sighed.

"We should be sleeping more, not less," she said. "Since we're actually safe."

"As safe as a Fidelius can be, anyway," Regulus warned.

Hermione drew her head back, grumbling. She mock-glared up at him. "How safe is a Fidelius, when the Secret-Keeper lives in the house?"

Regulus allowed a smile. "You're right, it's very safe." He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. She hummed, her hands sliding up his sides and embedding themselves in his hair.

In one smooth movement, he hitched her legs up around his hips, and slammed her against the wall. She squeaked in surprise.

"Regulus!" Hermione giggled. He kissed his way down her neck, his hands traveling under her shirt. "We are guests!"

"And?" The headache was dulling, numbing, as Slytherin made himself scarce in Regulus' head - giving in to the strong mental blocks Regulus had forced up. It was clear the ancient wizard didn't want to be present for this.

"Well," Hermione started, "it's very - rude - I -" She lost her train of thought, throwing her head back. "Regulus…"

He grinned. "What do you think Harry and Ginny were doing last night?"

"Ugh." She pushed Regulus away, bracing her hands against his shoulders. "Mood officially killed."

Regulus groaned, his eyes filled with mirth. "I never should've opened my mouth. It was a legitimate question, though."

"Harry's like my brother. He - and he apparently has a boyfriend," she grimaced, faux-vomiting.

Regulus chuckled.

"I acknowledge that Harry has most likely had - relations," Hermione said stiffly. "With Ginny, or Draco -"

"Or both," Regulus smirked.

"Ugh!" Hermione gagged. "I am so glad Harry doesn't tell me everything."

Regulus almost laughed out loud at her expression. "I'm sure.". He inhaled sharply. A spark of pain flashed through him. Slytherin was back at it, trying to break his walls down. Distracted, he almost missed the flicker of worry erasing her smile.

"Hey," he breathed, tilting her face toward him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," Hermione whispered. "I don't want to be, but I am. Harry is unraveling, with this Hallows thing, and I'm worried - I'm worried I won't be enough to hold him together. To hold you together."

Regulus clasped her hands in his own. "I can hold myself together," he said. "Harry can hold himself together. We are all strong, Hermione. Don't forget that."

"Yeah," Hermione gasped, nodding. "We are strong. But Reg, don't forget we're stronger together."

A creak sounded above them. Regulus glanced up.

"What do you say we get dressed?" he said, smoothing a curl away from Hermione's face. "Then we can get some breakfast, and regroup. I'm sure Harry has some idea of what he wants to do with the Hallows."

Hermione grimaced. "I told you, they're a myth," she grumbled, pulling away from Regulus and grabbing her beaded back. Reaching in, she summoned some clothes. "We need to focus on what we know is real - the Horcruxes."

"Yes, but even if we destroy the Horcruxes, it won't matter much if the Dark Lord is the master of death," Regulus said, raising an eyebrow. She scowled at him. "I'm just saying," he shrugged, pushing down a wince at the pain the sudden movement caused. "That's definitely one of the arguments Harry will use."

She tossed one of his shirts at him.

"Horcruxes first, then Hallows," she said.

"We don't know where the next Horcrux is," Regulus pointed out, pulling the shirt over his head.

She grimaced, shimmying into her jeans. "Diary, locket, ring…"

"Destroyed."

"Yes. Dumbledore thought there were seven - that's three gone, four left. One, obviously, is the body he's in…"

"Is it?" Regulus squinted at her. "That doesn't make much sense. I thought the body he's in came from the piece of his soul that was expelled from his other body, when Harry defeated him the first time."

"Diary, locket, ring, something of Hufflepuff's, something of Ravenclaw's, his current body…" Hermione counted off on her fingers. "That's only six, and if his current body isn't one…" She bit her lip, sitting abruptly.

Regulus looked at her. "I'm sure you're right," he said. "We'll figure it out, okay?" He pulled her off the bed, planting a kiss on her forehead, and leading her to the door. Opening it, he smirked. "After you."

She rolled her eyes and exited the room. Regulus was about to follow, when all of his muscles clenched in a wave of pain.

"Regulus?" Hermione called quietly from the hall. "Are you okay?"

"Yes - yes," Regulus pulled himself up, straightening. She offered him her hand. He took it, giving her a reassuring smile. "All good," he said quietly.

She nodded, and they made the short journey down the hall to the kitchen.

Luna was already up, making some tea over the stove. It was emitting a strangely flowery smell.

"Good morning," she greeted them.

"Morning," Hermione smiled. "Can I help you with anything?"

"If you'd like to make oatmeal," Luna offered, returning to her tea. Hermione quickly made herself useful. Regulus settled down at the table, resting his aching head on his hand.

He glanced around. There was no sign of the elusive Mr. Lovegood; Hermione said that they had only seen him briefly, for the Hallows discussion, the night before. Apparently he wasn't much for company.

All too soon, the tea was done. Luna poured herself and Regulus a cup, then took a seat across from him at the table.

"It's good for magical maladies, and it helps get rid of Wrackspurts," she said, pointedly taking a sip of her tea.

Regulus followed suit, and was surprised to find it was actually quite calming. The headache he had been nursing since the previous night subsided to a dull roar.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Luna queried.

"I think that we're going to figure out our next move," Regulus said. "Right, Hermione?"

"Yes," Hermione confirmed, still standing over her pot of oatmeal. "I've got some ideas, but we need to run them by Harry."

"Are you going to look for the Hallows?"

Hermione exchanged a glance with Regulus over Luna's head. "No, we've got to find -" she stopped, biting her lip, uncertain of how to finish her sentence.

Regulus leaned forward, Luna watching with interest. "We're looking for artifacts," he said carefully. "Important items that may have belonged to the founders - items that have special meaning to the Dark Lord."

"Hmm," Luna hummed, tilting her head to the side. "What have you found so far?"

Hermione shot Regulus a warning gaze. He conveniently didn't see it.

"Well, we've ruled out the Sword of Gryffindor, as the Dark Lord was a Slytherin," Regulus said. "We've found three other items. One belonged to Salazar Slytherin. So, we've narrowed down the rest to Hufflepuff's Cup, and something belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw."

"The Diadem."

Luna's answer was immediate. Hermione's stirring slowed as she paid closer attention to the conversation. Regulus leaned forward. "The Diadem?"

"It's Rowena Ravenclaw's only known artifact," Luna said. "But it was lost, long ago."

Regulus grinned. "If I were the Dark Lord, I would think it quite the feather in my cap if I could find it."

Luna smiled back. "There you have it."

"That's five," Regulus said to Hermione. She beamed, her hair crackling with excited magic. "Luna, do you know where the diadem is?"

"Lost," she shrugged. "But I imagine it's at Hogwarts."

Hermione spooned out some oatmeal into bowls, and brought them to the table. "Perfect," she breathed. "That's a start."

Regulus nodded, blinking spots out of his eyes.

"Reg, do you want to go see if Harry's up yet?"

"Oh, Ginny and Harry went out for a walk," Luna said.

Hermione tensed. "A walk? Outside of the Fidelius?"

"Oh, yes," Luna sipped her tea. "It's quite safe, so long as they avoid the Plimpering Nollywoggles."

Hermione abandoned her breakfast, standing. "I need to -"

Regulus rose, putting a hand on her arm. "Let me," he said, giving her a quick peck. "You finish your breakfast."

He left the room, heading through the main room to the door. Once he was out of sight and earshot, he collapsed, supporting himself on the wall. White spots flashed over his eyes, and he barely held back a groan.

It was over as soon as it started. Regulus' mental blocks hurriedly repaired themselves. Slytherin's influence was once again reduced to that constant headache.

Regulus pulled himself up, heading out the door. Maybe the fresh air would make him feel better, make Slytherin leave him alone.

One had to hope.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Harry had grown used to many things on the run, but the smell of crisp, early morning air was not one of them.

He inhaled, drawing the fresh air into his lungs and closing his eyes.

"You all right?" Ginny asked, a hidden laugh tucked into her words. Her hands were in her pockets, and she shivered a little in the morning chill. Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders, unable to keep a smile off of his face.

"I'm wonderful," he sighed. "I love the mornings."

"What, the smell?" Ginny caught on quickly. She wrinkled her nose. "It's just wet grass."

"You forget that I grew up in the city," Harry said. "I like it. It reminds me of Hogwarts." His smile faded.

Ginny burrowed into his side, wrapping her arms around him. "I miss it," she said into his jacket. "I hate not knowing what's going on there. I read the papers - Snape, the Carrows - it must be awful."

Harry kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad you're not there," he said softly.

"Draco is."

Harry tensed at her words, and Ginny flinched, as though she hadn't meant to say them. She pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I -"

He forced a smile onto his face. "He's one of them. They won't hurt him," he said. "Anyway, it's Easter Break, he'll be home now...not that that's any better."

Ginny winced. "It's not."

They were quiet, for a few moments. Ahead, the forest began to wake up, birds chirping in the trees. Harry glanced over his shoulder at the house. There were a few more lights on, and he thought he could see Luna through one of the windows.

"How's Luna?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"She's alright, I think," Ginny said. "We get along pretty well. It's a relief to not be trapped at Shell Cottage. Aunt Muriel isn't driving Mum crazy anymore, but Mum's going to drive Fleur crazy by the time the war's over."

Harry nodded. A vaguely uncomfortable silence prevailed again.

Finally, Ginny couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm sorry!" she burst out. "Harry, I'm sorry."

Harry turned to face her, his green eyes startled. "For what?"

"I left him behind, on the train," Ginny whispered. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry. I got Luna out, but I left Draco behind."

Harry's heart cleaved in two, seeing Ginny's expression. It mirrored his own, every time he thought about the Ministry, and Draco. He pulled Ginny into a firm hug, holding her tightly.

"He wouldn't have gone with you," he murmured into her hair. "He didn't go with me."

Ginny took a step back, sniffling. Harry's arms fell to his sides, bereft. "He's not a bad person..." she said.

"...just caught in a bad situation," Harry finished. He took Ginny's hands, squeezing. "I'm going to get him out, Ginny. I promise."

She sighed. "I wish…"

"I know."

The silence returned, but this time, it was comfortable - the kind of silence shared by two people who truly understood each other.

Regulus' footsteps, crunching over the stiff grass, stood out in the quiet. The couple turned to watch him approach. He smiled sheepishly.

"I'm not spying, I promise," he called, closing the distance. "Hermione was worried. You left the Fidelius."

"It's fine," Ginny said. "So long as we stay away from the town, and the Burrow, no one is going to find us."

Regulus nodded, slowing to a stop between them. "That's good." He couldn't get his eyes to focus. The moment anything sharpened, it blurred, thanks to the lack of sleep and Slytherin.

Ginny quirked an eyebrow at Harry, cocking her head to the side. He took the hint, and paced a few steps away, out of ear shot. Regulus smirked.

"You've got him trained well." His words sounded hollow, painfully clanging around inside of his head. The incredible tension didn't let off.

Ginny shrugged. "So," she said, folding her arms. "Not Sirius."

Regulus shook his head with a wry grin. "Not Sirius."

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I -" Ginny stopped, then started again. "It made more sense for Harry to have brought back Sirius, and mucked it up somehow, making him come back young," she got out, all in one breath.

Regulus nodded. A low hissing sound incessantly thrummed in his brain. "I imagine that's the simpler explanation." He huffed out a laugh, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Merlin. The simpler explanation."

"The world truly is terrifying," Ginny agreed. "Particularly when the dead refuse to stay dead."

"I wish…" Regulus hesitated, glancing at Ginny. "I wish Sirius had been the one brought back. I think he could've helped Harry more."

Ginny shook her head. "It's no use wishing impossible things," she said. "Maybe Sirius could have offered a different type of help - but, Regulus, I think Harry really appreciates the help you've brought. He doesn't need a pseudo-father right now. He needs a brother-in-arms."

Regulus snorted, looking down and fighting a blush. "How medieval of you."

Ginny shrugged, her teeth chattering. "I'm right."

"I wouldn't say otherwise."

"Well," she clapped her hands together, "now that that's sorted - I should go tell Hermione that Harry's still alive."

She took a step back. Harry took that as his cue to rejoin them. "Don't stay out for much longer," Ginny said. "You'll freeze.

With a grin, she began to trek back to the Rook.

Harry drew level with Regulus, bumping shoulders. Regulus barely stopped himself from recoiling.

"Hermione sent you out to check on me, then," Harry said.

"Of course," Regulus said with a wry grin. "She's inside - we want to talk about Horcruxes and Hallows."

Harry grimaced. "She doesn't want me to go after the Hallows."

"Neither of us do, Harry," Regulus said. "Think about it. If we go after the Hallows, the Dark Lord isn't going to sit and wait around for us to return to the horcrux hunt - to the war. He's going to keep fighting, keep torturing and killing and -"

"I know," Harry snapped. "Do you think I don't know that every day I delay, people suffer?"

"I know you know that," Regulus reassured him. "Which is why I know you'll make the Horcruxes your priority."

Harry sighed. "I will."

He returned to gazing at the treeline, listening to the silence. Regulus stood beside him, trapped in his own head. The pain was growing exponentially by the minute - Luna's tea had only worked for so long. Much more of this, and Regulus thought he might explode.

"I've just got this feeling," Harry said, his eyes distant, reflecting the blue of the sky. "This feeling that I've been missing something - that Dumbledore didn't tell me something important, and the Hallows are a part of it."

A vein pulsed in Regulus' temple. He had to put a great effort to not lash out and bash Dumbledore's life choices with all he had. "I'm sure the professor told you all you needed to know," he said through gritted teeth.

Harry slouched, his shoulders curving inwards. "Of course," he said softly. "You're right." His brows were furrowed, his voice full of doubt.

"Yeah." Regulus clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, stubbornly ignoring the sensation of spikes stabbing through his own shoulders. "Let's head inside. Hermione's probably formulating a plan of attack as we speak."

Harry obliged, allowing Regulus to turn him back towards the Rook. He glanced at Regulus out of the corner of his eye, covertly examining his friend.

He opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly. What was he going to say, exactly? Hey Regulus, you look like shit, bad night? He shook his head, and matched Regulus' pace, striding back towards Luna's home.

In the Rook, Hermione watched Regulus and Harry walk through a small and round window that was a bit like a porthole. The two men unconsciously mirrored each other's strides, making their way across the field and back to the house.

"Hermione," Luna said, suddenly right beside her. Hermione jumped, barely resisting the urge to smack Luna with her wand. "Your special friend is fraying at the edges."

"I -" Hermione's brow furrowed as she tried to process Luna's words. "What?"

Luna tilted her head to the side, examining Regulus from where she stood, inside. "I don't think he's sleeping well," she said vacantly. "Also, his aura is at war with himself."

"His aura…" Hermione bit her lip, deciding to indulge Luna just this once. "Would you describe it?"

Luna pursed her lips. "There's two colours, and they don't blend well together," she said simply. "He's also got a great amount of wrackspurts feeding."

The two men walked into the house, Regulus preceding Harry. He rubbed his temples, not stopping in the room with the women. Harry took a seat beside Ginny, casting a worried eye towards Regulus as he continued down the hall.

"Hermione -" he started.

"Yeah," Hermione said, without letting him finish. She was already up, following Regulus. "I know."

She slipped down the hallway. Ahead of her, the door to the room they were sharing clicked shut. She paused.

The closing door sounded like a warning shot in the cluttered space. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, and she hesitated.

Regulus wasn't himself. She had never been very good at reading people, and she didn't know what to do. Did he want to be left alone? Did he need to have someone with him, someone to hold him up and help him through whatever he was going through right now?

I don't know if it is in my passenger's best interest for me to stay alive.

His words echoed in her mind, and sent a jolt of nervous energy down her spine. Her hand fell onto the doorknob, and she opened the door.

"Agh!" Regulus yelped, recoiling from the light in the hall.

"Regulus!" Hermione dashed into the room. The door shut behind her, pitching the room into darkness. "Hey, hey…" She held him up, her hands on his elbows. "Reg, what's wrong?"

"Slytherin," Regulus gasped. Adrenaline surged through her.

"Slytherin?"

"He wants to talk," Regulus said. "He - he heard my theory, my thought, he wants to pull me back under again and -"

"Just talk to him," Hermione said desperately.

"No - no I can't, I can't," Regulus almost sobbed, his words tripping over his breaths. "Hermione, I can't."

"You can't keep on like this, Reg," she whispered.

Regulus nodded, over and over again, blinking rapidly. "I know. I…"

His legs trembled, and she wrapped her arms more securely around his waist. "Slytherin doesn't want you dead," she promised, but it was empty. He doesn't, she thought firmly, willing it into being. He doesn't.

"I'm scared," Regulus whispered. His eyes were full of fear. "What if he does? What if he kills me, what if I die, what if Voldemort uses Slytherin to control me?" He lifted shaking hands, cupping Hermione's face and stroking his thumbs over her cheeks. "What if he makes me kill you?"

Hermione reached up, placing her hands over his. "I…" She couldn't say any more. All those years, when she was the first person with her hand in the air in class, she always had the right answer. Now, when it really mattered, she couldn't think of any answer. Hermione gazed up at him, her mouth hanging open slightly.

He swallowed. Leaning down, he rested his forehead against hers. "I can't die without first making sure that you're safe, that the world is safe, from the Dark Lord."

His forehead was hot. Hermione could practically feel his headache pulsing through his veins. She pressed closer to him, as though she could absorb his pain and make it her own.

"You're not going to die," she whispered around the lump in her throat. "You're not."

He pulled back, stepping back and taking a deep breath.

"Okay?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Okay," he breathed. "Oka -" His voice cut out in a muted yowl of pain.

"Regulus!" She darted forward, his pain slicing through her, a helpless ache in her chest.

Regulus stumbled into Hermione, gripping her arm, his head falling to her shoulder. He shook violently. "Hermione, I have to -"

What he had to do, she didn't know, and apparently she wasn't going to find out. Mid-sentence, Regulus passed out. His grip on her arm went slack, and he slid down her body, landing with a crack on the floor.

"Regulus - Regulus!" Hermione reached for him, overcoming her brief shock. She rolled him over, and checked his pulse. His eyelashes fluttered, revealing the whites of his eyes, but he didn't wake up. "Shit - Harry! Ginny! Luna!"

"Hmm." Luna appeared in the doorway, her head cocked to the side as she observed the scene. "Does he usually do this?"

"No, of course he doesn't," Hermione snapped, lowering Regulus gently to the floor.

Harry pushed past Luna, Ginny right behind him. He rushed over to Hermione, helping her support Regulus. "Ginny - can you get his -"

"Legs, got it." Ginny followed Harry into the room. Together, she, Hermione, and Harry lifted Regulus onto the bed.

Ginny stared down at him. His head lolled back on the arm, Hermione stroking his hair and trying to maneuver him into a more comfortable position. "What's wrong with him?"

"I think he's talking to Slytherin," Hermione said. She and Harry stared at each other, fear and worry reflected in their eyes.

Ginny huffed. "Salazar Slytherin? You're joking."

Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll explain it later," he murmured.

Hermione slipped her hand into Regulus' squeezing it before letting go.

"What can we do?" Harry asked, fidgeting with his wand.

Hermione bit her lip, wringing her hands helplessly.

"Nothing," she said. "There's nothing we can do for him now."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Regulus' vision exploded into white light, and just as quickly plunged into darkness.

"Hello?"

The air had the same soupy quality Regulus remembered from his last few chats with Slytherin. He was on his guard - but there was nothing he could do, no way he could protect his mind.

"HELLO?" Regulus screamed into the blank darkness. "You went to all the trouble of pulling me in here, and now you're not going to talk?"

"Do you think I am trying to kill you?"

Regulus flinched. Slytherin's voice was right by his ear, and he sounded none too happy.

"Considering you've been giving me terrible headaches for the last twelve hours, I'm not convinced you're not trying to kill me," he snapped.

Slytherin hissed. "That was your own fault. If you had let your bothersome mind-blocks down, we could've had this conversation much sooner, and without you being unconscious."

"I'm here now," Regulus scowled. "Tell me what you wanted to say. Get it over with."

"I want to die," Slytherin said bluntly. Regulus tensed. "I don't want to kill you. It's not your fault you're my host."

"Well done," Regulus said drily. "You almost sounded convincing, you parasite."

"Please," Slytherin spat. "The only thing I want more than to die, is to kill the moronic Dark Lord who thought it was a good idea to trap me amongst the living."

"That's -" Regulus paused, thinking over Slytherin's words. "Actually, it appears our interests align."

"Exactly," Slytherin said. "Are you ready to hear my proposition?"

"I'm listening."

"The Dark Lord brought me back because I have unheard of reserves of magical power," Slytherin said bluntly. "Which means that you now have said reserves, as long as I am in your body. I propose that I teach you to use them in battle."

"I'm not convinced."

"Your friend, Harry, he is going to die."

Regulus hissed. "He is not."

"He is," Slytherin insisted. "He must. And you know why."

Regulus swallowed. "I don't."

"You do. But he must die by Voldemort's hand. Based on his track record, how likely do you think it is that Potter will survive to that day?"

"And you think you can help."

"My magic can protect your friend - and your lady love - for as long as you want. I only ask one thing."

Here it was; the catch. Regulus steeled himself. "What is it?"

"Find out how to send me back to Death - to get me out of your head, at the very least. You are intelligent, and you have one of the brightest minds of the age on your side. I don't doubt you can do it."

Regulus cocked his head to the side. "I really don't see a downside to this deal," he said. "Which means it's either even more nefarious than it seems, or…"

"Or it's the best thing that's happened to you in months."

"Not true, Hermione -"

"I don't need to hear about Hermione."

Regulus smirked. "That's right, you don't like to be there when -"

"Do we have a deal?"

Regulus thought it over. It didn't seem like too hard of a decision. "Yes."

Good, Slytherin whispered, his words echoing. Then it's time for you to wake up.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Regulus shot upwards, sitting abruptly with a gasp.

"Hermione!"

She was alert in an instant, clutching his hand in her own. "Regulus! Reg, I'm here, I'm here -"

He turned to her, his hands tightening around hers. Twisting on the bed, his feet landed on the floor sharply. "I had to talk to Slytherin."

"Ah," Hermione exhaled. "I was wondering."

A grin grew on Regulus' face, brilliant and blinding. Hermione's own smile arrived, reflecting his glee. "So," she said, clearing her throat. "You talked to Slytherin?"

"I did." Regulus' smile was unabating.

"And?"

He cocked his head to the side, smirking at her. "And what?"

Hermione shoved his shoulder. "What did he have to say?" she giggled. Regulus fell back, faking great pain at her light touch.

"I'm not going to die," Regulus grinned. "And, best of all? Slytherin's going to help us."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Help us?"

Regulus was practically vibrating with excitement. "Hermione, Slytherin was one of the founders," he said. "He has incredible power - you've seen some of it, and that was when I was doing my best to suppress his presence in my mind, in my magic. If he helps me learn to wield his power, if we work together...Hermione, this could save the world."

She bit her lip, uneasiness floating through her. "Ancient magic runs by different rules," she said.

Regulus' smile faded, as he caught on to her apprehension. "I'll be careful," he promised her. "Don't worry about me."

Hermione smoothed her hands over his brow. "All I ever do is worry," she said softly.

"Not anymore," he said, kissing her briefly. "Let me do some of that worrying for you."

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

"All right," he said. "Now that that's out of the way...what's a man got to do to get some lunch around here?"

She smirked. "Dinner, more like. Reg, you were asleep all day."

Regulus glanced at the window. Sure enough, it was already dark. "Oh," he said. "Well. In that case...dinner probably is more appropriate."

Hermione laughed with relief. "Let's go find the others," she said. "Then we can find you some food."

They found Harry in the front room, sitting in front of the fire with Ginny and Luna. He stood as soon as they walked in.

"Regulus! You're all right?"

"Just a minor hiccup," Regulus grinned.

"Minor, huh," Ginny said drily. "Is passing out for an entire day a regular occurrence for you, then?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow. "You'd be surprised."

Hermione guided Regulus to a loveseat, squishing in beside him. "Now that Reg's here, we can seriously plan."

Harry nodded vehemently. "Yes," he said. "We need to move forward."

Regulus sighed. It appeared he was not going to get his dinner for quite some time. "Not the Hallows?" he asked, gamely entering the conversation. Harry nodded, his jaw set.

"I want to come with you."

Harry, Hermione, and Regulus turned to Ginny in surprise. "You - what?" Harry was flummoxed.

"I want to come with you," Ginny repeated. "Don't leave me behind again, Harry."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, pacing away from the fire. "I can't - Ginny, it's not safe."

"No one is safe, Harry!"

"You're in a Fidelius!" Harry was shaking, barely refraining from shouting at her. "That's as safe as you can get."

"Harry," Regulus said, stopping the younger man in his tracks. "Let her come."

Harry stared at him, then at Hermione. "What would you do, if you were trapped, with no way to help?" she sighed. "Let Ginny come."

Harry wiped a hand over his face. "It's too dangerous," he said hoarsely. "We're going after…" He stopped.

"What are you going after, if not the Hallows?" Ginny asked curiously.

Harry took a deep breath, then he exhaled, finally giving in. "Horcruxes."

Luna flinched.

"What are horcruxes?" Ginny asked.

"Pieces of Voldemort's soul," Hermione said quietly. "He murdered someone, then he split his soul, and stored it in an inanimate object."

"An artifact," Luna murmured.

Harry nodded. "Three are destroyed - the diary that possessed you, Ginny, then a ring that Dumbledore got rid of…"

"And Slytherin's locket," Regulus added. "There's four left."

"We think two of them are Ravenclaw's diadem," Hermione said, "and Hufflepuff's cup."

"You don't know what the others are?" Ginny looked shell shocked, overwhelmed by the idea of Voldemort's immortality - the idea that even if they managed to kill his body now, he'd just keep coming back again and again…

Harry shook his head. "No."

"We're going to destroy the ones we know about," Hermione said, "then we'll worry about the ones we don't. The thing is, we don't know where to go next."

"You'll be going to Hogwarts, for the diadem," Luna prompted.

The trio glanced at each other. Harry made a face. "I'd like to leave that for last, considering all the defenses Voldemort is bound to have around it."

"I think that's the least of your problems," Ginny interjected. "How are you going to get rid of it?"

"Well…" Harry hesitated, looking at Hermione. She rolled her eyes, and tossed him her beaded bag. "Accio sword." He unsheathed the sword from the bag.

Ginny gasped. "It's amazing," she said, running her hands over the sword in awe.

"You've seen it before," Harry pointed out.

Ginny shrugged. "Yeah, when I was eleven, and recovering from possession."

Harry frowned. "Right."

"So this sword, it can destroy Riddle's horcruxes?" Ginny looked at Hermione. She nodded.

"When Harry stabbed the basilisk with it, it imbibed some of the venom," Hermione explained.

"Basilisk venom is one of few things that can destroy a horcrux," Regulus said.

Ginny suddenly laughed.

"What?" Harry asked, her infectious laughter making him smile.

"I'd like to think I helped, my being possessed and all leading you to the basilisk," she grinned.

The others joined her in laughter, the tension leaking out of the room.

Suddenly, the floo opened up with a whoosh. Everyone crouched into an attack-ready position. Regulus wanted to laugh at the sight of Harry, who, instead of reaching for his wand, aimed the sword.

Ron Weasley stepped out of the fire.

"Ron?" Hermione gasped. Regulus took a step closer to her, his arm hovering close to her waist. His wand was still out.

"You don't know that," he said harshly.

"No," Harry snarled. "We don't."

"Look," Ron said, spreading his empty hands in surrender. "It really is me. This place is Fideliused, remember? Who else would I be?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather not find out," Harry said. "When you left, I forced you to leave -"

"The necklace," Ron said. "Salazar Slytherin's necklace."

Hermione and Regulus dropped their wands. Harry didn't move.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" he growled.

"Harry - Harry, look, I'm sorry, but I thought he should come," Ginny said, placing a hand on Harry's chest. "Bill said he's been moping all over Shell Cottage, and generally being utterly useless - come on, Harry, the two of you are best friends. You can work this out."

"No, we can't," Harry said stubbornly. "Ginny, you of all people - I told you what he said."

"I didn't mean it!" Ron shouted. "I was surprised, Harry, that's all -"

"I want him to leave," Harry said, looking at Luna.

She shrugged. "I like Ron," she said calmly. "He can stay if he likes."

Harry looked from her, to Ginny, and back to Ron. Hermione squeezed Regulus' hand, holding her breath.

"Fine," Harry said. "Fine. He stays, and I'm leaving." He stalked to the door, and walked out, the door slamming behind him.

"Harry, wait!" Ron bolted after his friend.

Regulus and Hermione exchanged a look, and then they were moving, following the pair out of the house.

"We need to hang back," Hermione said as they tripped off the porch. "Just...hang back, but be there just in case it gets violent."

Just outside the garden gate, Regulus suddenly stopped, breaking out into laughter. "Hermione, Harry has the sword."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh, God - Regulus, that's not funny!"

"Isn't it?" His eyes twinkled. "He might challenge Ron to a duel."

Hermione huffed. "It's not." She took off towards where Harry and a pursuing Ron were disappearing into the woods.

Regulus was about to follow, when Ginny's voice stopped him.

"Regulus, wait!" He paused, letting Hermione race ahead of him. Quirking an eyebrow, he met Ginny halfway, in the Rook's front yard.

She tossed a familiar beaded bag at him.

His eyes narrowed. "What is this?"

The corners of Ginny's mouth tugged downwards, against her will. "Luna says you won't be coming back to the Rook," she said. "She's almost never wrong."

Regulus' jaw clenched. "Let's hope she is," he said gruffly. "But if she isn't...thank you." He stowed the bag in a pocket. Turning, he hurried away. Harry and Ron were going deeper into the woods, their raised voices carrying.

At the gate, he paused again, glancing back over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You wanted to come," Regulus said. "Are you coming?"

That was all it took. Ginny nodded curtly, then they were running, racing through the woods after Hermione and Harry.

Surprisingly, Regulus saw them before he heard them. The boys were in the middle of a copse, screaming at each other. Hermione stood back a little, watching with folded arms.

"This won't attract attention at all," Regulus said sarcastically, stopping just behind her. She waved a hand dismissively.

"Silencing charm," she said nervously. "It won't hold for long, but…"

"Can we hear what they're saying?" Ginny asked.

Hermione did a double take, but didn't ask why Ginny was present. She bit her lip. "If we're in range. Regulus, I don't think you want to hear."

Regulus stared at her, his grey eyes unreadable. "Whatever Weasley's saying, I have definitely heard worse."

Hermione winced. "That doesn't make it any better."

Regulus held out a hand. "Come on; take me within range."

Hermione took his hand, and led him forward. Ginny followed. Regulus felt a sensation similar to his ears popping, and then he could hear Harry and Ron, loud and clear.

"...and we don't need you! We've been doing just fine without you! We DESTROYED a horcrux WITHOUT YOU!"

"So, what, you've just decided to replace me with Regulus Black? Harry, come on," Ron begged. "We've been best friends for seven years, we've saved each other's lives so many times -"

"Regulus has saved my life too!" Harry yelled. He lifted the sword, shaking it at Ron. "Do you know what happened when I got this? It was at the bottom of a pool! When I dived in, the horcrux began to choke me, and do you know who saved my life then? Regulus did!"

"I WAS THERE TOO!" Ron bellowed. "I was there, I saw you dive for the bloody sword! I was going after you but he got there first!" He gestured wildly in Regulus' general direction.

Regulus felt Slytherin's magic purr in anticipation. His passenger clearly thought this interaction would end in a fight… Regulus shifted his stance warily. A duel was not the ideal outcome.

Hermione placed a hand on his chest, shooting a warning look at him. Behind her, Harry and Ron grew louder and louder, shouting at each other.

"Just let them work it out," she said in an undertone. "Once they've got all the yelling out of their system, we can all sit down and talk this through rationally."

Regulus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was biting her lip, her wand clenched in her grip.

"Right." He wasn't sure if she was speaking from experience, or if it was just wishful thinking.

In front of them, Harry shoved a red-faced Ron. Regulus grimaced. "They're not going to work it out," he said, taking a step forward. Hermione stopped him again.

"They will," she said, a hysterical edge to her voice. "They have to."

The foreboding feeling swirled in Regulus' stomach, stronger this time. "I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered, pushing Hermione's hand aside.

"Hermione, Harry's pointing a sword at him." Ginny shifted uneasily.

"I -" Hermione stopped, sighing. Harry was indeed holding Gryffindor's sword in a more aggressive stance. She grabbed Regulus' hand, but not to hold him back. Instead, she squeezed it tightly, and walked with him. She nodded at Ginny, and they closed the distance between them and the boys.

"...called me a bloody Death Eater lover, because that's what I am, isn't it?" Harry snapped.

"I didn't -" Ron started at a shout, then stopped. He put his hands behind his head, looking up at the dark sky and taking a deep breath before starting again. "Look, Harry," he said, his tone softer than it had been since he arrived, "I was on edge, okay? We barely got my family out of the Ministry. Then, you tell me that not only do you have a secret boyfriend, it's Draco bloody Malfoy! How did you think I was going to react?"

Harry shifted on his feet, Gryffindor's sword falling to the ground beside him. "I don't know," he said quietly. "I was trying to figure out a way for it to work. I thought, maybe if Draco defected...but then he let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts, and…" He swallowed, running a hand through his hair.

"It took some getting used to," Ron said. "Hell, I might flip out at the ferret - sorry, Malfoy - if I see him again, but I'll get over it, if he's really what you want."

"You should know, I'm going to save him," Harry said fiercely. His determination was echoed in every line of his body, in Ginny's determined eyes as she moved to stand beside him. "I'm going to get Draco out, even if I have to kill Voldemort to do it."

"Don't say his name!" Ron shouted.

Harry fell back a step. "What're you yelling at me for now?" he yelled back, bewildered.

Ron was glancing around, his wand in his hand. His tension spread quickly to the rest. Regulus spun, scanning the trees around them. He nervously noted that they were quite close to where they had met Luna and Ginny.

"There's a taboo," Ron hissed. "On the name."

Regulus' wide eyes met Ron's. "They enacted it?"

The red-head nodded seriously. In a moment of solidarity, they turned to opposite sides, flanking Hermione and Harry.

Ginny crouched, her eyes scanning her surroundings. "We need to get back to the Rook."

"What if someone shows up, and tracks us?" Harry asked, his voice a little too high.

"Impossible," Regulus said flatly. "It's under a Fidelius."

"He has a point," Ron said, silently agreeing with Harry's paranoia. "We should split up - Ginny, go back to Shell Cottage - I'll take Harry, Black, you take Hermione -"

Regulus sneered, an ugly, angry protectiveness rearing up inside of him at the thought of separation. "That's a terrible -"

Crack!

The group shut up, exchanging glances. Hermione glanced around. "There's no one here," she said quietly. "It was probably just...just a tree branch falling, or something…"

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

"That's definitely Apparation," Harry said.

For one long, tense moment, the five stood, staring at each other. Then, a shout not too far away startled them into motion.

Hermione locked eyes with Regulus, then determinedly fixed her gaze on Harry. "Run."

She grabbed Harry's hand and darted off into the woods. Harry snatched Ginny's hand just before he took off, dragging her along with him. Ron and Regulus sprinted after the trio.

"What happened to splitting up?" Hermione hissed at Regulus, between panting breaths.

"If you think I'm leaving your side, you're mad," Regulus growled.

Hermione grimaced with displeasure, but didn't bother answering him - saving her breath for an argument she could win, when they weren't running for their lives.

They stumbled and tripped through the woods, none of them sure whether they were running to or away from the Rook. Ron cursed every time he tripped, panting. Harry and Hermione led the way.

They made it out of the treeline, and into a clearing, when a weak Stupefy flashed across the clearing in front of them. Slowing to a stop, they formed a loose formation, their backs to each other.

Snatchers began to materialize from the woods, slinking into the clearing. Four of them were carrying large, human-sized cages.. Hermione swallowed, the hand that wasn't holding her wand brushing against Regulus' arm.

The leader took a few extra steps forward. "Well, well, well," he sneered. "What have we here? Five little Phoenixes?"

A deep hum flowed throughout Regulus, spreading from his core.

Take them out, Slytherin hissed. We can do it.

Regulus cast a glance at Hermione out of the corner of his eye. She was standing a bit in front of him and Harry, in a ready stance, her expression hard.

I told you I would help. Now let me.

"Disarm them."

Regulus let loose with a scream, pushing the other three behind him, and sending a fireball straight at the leader. It illuminated his face, and Regulus felt his blood run cold.

"Fenrir Greyback."

Please, allow me.

Regulus knew Greyback, he knew what he could do. Behind him, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were fighting off the other Snatchers, with varying success.

Greyback was a different type of enemy all together.

Regulus handed over the reins to Slytherin.

Immediately, a bright light exploded out from Regulus, throwing all the Snatchers back. Greyback tried to twist midair to land on his feet, but slammed face-first into a tree.

Regulus huffed out a laugh, adrenaline filling him. The rush of magic was like nothing he ever felt. If suppressing it was painful, releasing it...releasing it was euphoria.

Well? Slytherin was smug. Shall I do more?

"Yes," Regulus breathed.

The next few minutes were a blur. Regulus was everywhere at once - helping Hermione battle three of the Snatchers, slamming Fenrir back into the tree whenever he showed signs of recovering, blasting Snatchers away from Ron and Harry…

Most of the Snatchers were moaning on the ground when said ground began to gravitate towards Regulus.

Hermione and Regulus stopped fighting, leaving Harry and Ginny to contend with the last two Snatchers, and gaped at Regulus.

He was surrounded by a ball of energy, one that was affecting the very gravity, and pulling everything towards him. It was a coil of energy, one that kept tightening, tightening… Hermione could see right away that it was eventually going to explode.

"Regulus!" Hermione cried. "Stop!"

He looked up from his hands, wide eyed. "It's Slytherin! I don't know how!"

Hermione growled with frustration, the same vague sense of fear rising up. She squashed it, pushed it down. With her wand hand, she Stupefied one of the Snatchers.

"You've got to stop, mate!" Ron bellowed. "You're going to wipe out all of us!"

Behind him, Harry yelled out what probably was agreement, but he was caught in battle with the last Snatcher.

All around the clearing, the previously defeated Snatchers were recovering, grabbing their wands and rising to their feet. Hermione glanced around, assessing the situation.

There were at least two Snatchers, for every one of them; they were effectively surrounded. Regulus was primed to explode. All in all, they had gotten themselves into a terrible fix.

"Harry!" In the split second his face turned towards her, Hermione sent a stinging hex straight at his forehead. He yelped, a hand going to his face.

Ron shook his head, turning back to Regulus. When the magical energy surrounding him didn't abate, and just continued to build, he ran at the other wizard - meaning to tackle him to the ground, knock him out, or something, conveniently forgetting that he had a wand to do just that.

Regulus' eyes widened at Ron's approach. "No - wait!" Before he could stop it, his magic whipped out, knocking Ron backwards an entire meter. He barely avoided crashing into Harry.

"Reg, stop!" Hermione screamed. She caught Ron as he stumbled to the ground, and passed him off to Harry. "You're going to blow up the entire clearing!"

Slytherin's magic flickered across his arms, and a white hot glow of magic emanated from his core. "I can't!" Regulus cried out. "I don't know how!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Greyback struggle to his feet. Wiping his face, he snarled, and began to move toward Hermione. The other Snatchers had Harry in a stranglehold, with an unconscious Ron already shoved in their cage. Ginny was still fighting, but her energy was flagging - it wouldn't be long before she joined the others.

This is less than ideal, said Slytherin, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"You don't think I know that?" Regulus growled. He looked back at Hermione. "I won't stop! Run!"

"Make Slytherin stop!" Hermione yelled. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to! Run! I'll take out the Snatchers, then I'll find you, I promise, I'll find you -"

Suddenly, a blinding red light flashed, and the world stopped.

The last thing Regulus saw before he fell was Hermione's face, filled with determination - and her wand, aimed straight at him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a/n: Review:)